Kristina Groves

Groves at the World Cup in Heerenveen in November 2006

Kristina Nicole Groves (born December 4, 1976 in Ottawa ) is a former Canadian speed skater .

Career

Kristina Groves started the World Cup for the first time in Hamar in November 1998 . She achieved her first World Cup victory six years later at the same place. In the following years, up to her last World Cup start in Berlin in November 2010, she won 15 World Cup competitions. She was able to win the overall World Cup three times (2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10).

At Canadian championships she won in 2004 in a small four-way battle. By 2010 she was Canadian individual distance champion nine times.

Her first appearance at the Winter Olympics was in Salt Lake City in 2002 , where her best place was an 8th place over 3000 meters. At the 2007 Individual Distance World Championships in Salt Lake City, she was the first world champion in the team pursuit. She won silver at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin with the Canadian team, which set an Olympic record in the competition , and over 1500 meters behind Cindy Klassen and in front of Ireen Wüst . In the 2007/2008 season she took 3rd place at the all-around world championships in Berlin behind the two Dutch women Ireen Wüst and Paulien van Deutekom . At the individual distance World Championships 2008 in Nagano, she became world champion in the 3000 meter distance. At 1000 m, 1500 m and in the team she came second and at the end she took bronze on the longest distance 5000 m behind Martina Sablikova and teammate Clara Hughes.

In the 2008/2009 season she took second place at the all-around World Championships in Hamar behind the Czech Martina Sáblíková and ahead of the Dutch Ireen Wüst. Almost a month later Kristina Groves won a gold medal (Team Pursuit) and two bronze medals (5000 m and 3000 m) at the 2009 World Championships in Richmond.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver , Kristina Groves won the bronze medal over 3000 m behind Martina Sáblíková and Stephanie Beckert . In the 1500 m she won silver behind Ireen Wüst . In the team she was fifth and took 4th over 1000 meters and 6th over 5000 meters.

Groves was involved as an athlete ambassador for the development aid organization Right to Play

After her last competition on March 6, 2011, she ended her active career.

Personal bests speed skating

distance	time	date	place
500 m	38.75	March 18, 2006	Calgary , Canada
1000 m	1: 14.51	March 2, 2007	Calgary , Canada
1,500 m	1: 53.18	November 17, 2007	Calgary , Canada
3,000 m	3.58.11	4th December 2009	Calgary , Canada
5,000 m	6.54.55	March 19, 2006	Calgary , Canada
Team tracking	2.55.79	December 6, 2009	Calgary , Canada

(As of March 11, 2018)

World Cup placements

placement	500 m	1000 m	1500 m	3000 m	5000 m	team
1st place		1	7th	1		6th
2nd place		2	4th	1		7th
3rd place		2	8th	7th	1
Top 10		14th	21st	21st	9	2

(As of March 11, 2018)

Web links

• Kristina Groves in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• Photos by Kristina Groves at DESGphoto
• Profile at Speedskatingnews